Ms Henderson said Dunedin Police arrived at the Calton Hill home quickly, nothing was taken, and her children, 4 and 10 months, were not harmed.

"Since then, the police have been absolutely crap. We're absolutely gobsmacked about the lack of communication. It's been a week now and still nothing."

She said the woman was arrested, but when she rang Dunedin Police later in the day they told her the woman had not been charged.

During the past week, she has contacted police several more times to get updates, and it appeared nothing had been done.

Dunedin Area Commander Inspector Jason Guthrie said he was looking into the circumstances surrounding the case, and wanted to reassure the family and the Dunedin public that incidents such as these were treated with "the utmost seriousness".

It was hoped an update on the case could be given today.

The incident had rattled her family, Ms Henderson said.

"We're checking doors are locked 10 times before we go to bed at night now.

"We don't feel safe in our own home anymore."

In September last year, a Wakari woman was attacked by a 21-year-old woman who vandalised her home during a drunken rampage.

Police did not lay charges in that instance because the woman was so intoxicated she did not know what she had done.